Whole Grains for Lunch: 15 Hearty, Satisfying Lunch Salads

It's a new year, and we're all back to the races — school, work, the daily routine. So, what's for lunch? Lunch has become important again, now that leisurely holiday brunches and Christmas cookies are behind us. Are you freshly resolved to pack a homemade lunch every day? Are you trying to eat more vegetables and whole grains? Let us help you.

A hearty, satisfying lunch salad is one of the best make-ahead meals — a big bowl of farro and roasted vegetables can carry you through a week of lunches. Legumes like chickpeas and lentils also make delicious, protein-rich salads that satisfy. Read on for 15 of our favorite hearty lunch salads. There's a salad of brown rice and sweet apples, another of couscous and butternut squash, and plenty of bean inspiration, including a delicious mix of white beans and roasted vegetables. Is it time for lunch yet?

Faith is executive editor of The Kitchn and author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning The Kitchn Cookbook, coauthored with Sara Kate Gillingham, as well as Bakeless Sweets. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband Mike.